DT and Leaving on a Jet Plane

So, remember that big four-day hospital scare back in June? The one where docs thought D might have had bacterial meningitis following her reaction to her 4-month vaccinations? The one that I never want to experience anything like again?

Yeah, that one. So our pediatrician had to go with the thought that it was a reaction to the pertussis vaccine, part of the DTaP shot. So she decided that, going forward, there would be no P in any of D's future DTaP shots.

True to her word, last week (at just over 6 1/2 months old), when D got her 6 month vaccinations, that shot was merely a DT. Which is kind of a bad thing, because pertussis (aka whooping cough) is back on the rise in this country but the doc wants to do what's best for D, and if that means not getting it, then so be it. I'm alright with that decision.

I'm happy to report that D had no reaction to any shots this time, just some minor sleep disturbances (that have yet, unfortunately, to resolve themselves). She weighed in at an impressive 18 lbs., and 26 inches long, with a lovely noggin circumference. All on track, between 75th and 90th percentiles.

This week, the four of us are going on vacation, one that involves a two-hour plane ride. Did you catch that? The four of us? Two of whom are a 26-month old, and an almost 7-month old? The last time we went on this same trip to see family, it was just 3 of us, and J was almost 7-months old--the exact (and I mean, to the week) same age that D is now. It wasn't too bad (after all, we had a ratio of two parents to one child) but nowadays, well, let's just say that J is fully embracing her terrible two's--along with her terrific two's. But it's hard to know on a minute-to-minute basis which one you're going to be graced with.

I've got tons of new small toys and a DVD player/movies (and child-sized headphones) purchased specifically for this occasion. They are all in hiding. She's never seen them and won't until we're on board. Thankfully, J is a big fan of airplanes ("Look Mommy--airplane high up in the sky!" just about every time she sees one). I'm hoping the novelty of actually being on a plane high up in the sky will go a long way as will all those new toys.

Alas, like they say, "what goes around, comes around." Therefore, for every dirty look I ever gave a parent with a baby coming on a plane I was on, I'm sure going to get it doubled back at me. For every time I rolled my eyes and made annoyed faces at a screaming baby or toddler in the row ahead of me, I'm going to get mine. And for every chant in my head of "please don't sit by me, please don't sit by me" I ever thought as an approaching mother or father and child/ren came my way on a plane, it's going to come back to bite me on the ass.

If there's such a thing as travel karma when you have kids, I'm fucked.

P.S. If any of you lovely gals have traveled with your small fry/fries recently, just how much liquid (specifically, formula) can I bring through security? I've heard that it can be more than the 3 oz. if you have babies/children but you have to let them know about it all. Any truth to that? Or am I just basically screwed any way I look at it? Plus, any other tips you can share to help make this trip as good as can be expected?

Weaning

Ah, no, not weaning from the breast. Sorry--but that's not what I meant (especially since I did not bf this go'round--flame me if you must).

Daniela is officially being weaned from the phenobarbitol. Hooray! We are currently almost halfway through a 6-week reduction plan of her dosage. By Labor Day, she'll be done completely with the medication.

Happily I can report that we have not witnessed any seizures as her medication levels decline (side note: the last seizure she had was at about 5 days old or so if memory serves me right).

One more hurdle to come: getting rid of the apnea monitor. So far no idea when this will take place, no discussion has been had on the subject since her 4-month doctor visit. 6-month visit (more like six-and-a-half month visit) is later next week so we'll see what comes up then.

But in the meantime, I'm thrilled with the current state of progress...and the rolling over, and the babbling, and the generally just being okay (so far, knock on wood and everything else). I lurve okay.

Giving up the ghost

Well, I did it. I went ahead and packed up (almost) all of my maternity clothes this evening and put them up for grabs via Freecycle. I had a response almost immediately and tomorrow the lucky recipient will pick them up. "Lucky" because, man, had I racked up a nice stash of clothes between 2005 and 2007! There are currently two giant bags (think baby shower gift bags, sized for large items) awaiting their new home.

I say "almost all" of them because there are a few things I kept--a handful of really comfy cotton t-shirts that are fitted so they manage to flatter the post-baby bod. I also kept one dress. It's just that I absolutely loved it--I wore it at my shower and to our 10th anniversary weekend dinner back last Fall. It has some lovely memories associated with it and I really loved the pattern, the color, everything about it. Who knows? Maybe one day I'll see if a seamstress can convert it into a non-maternity model.

This purging of the maternity wear means that I'm finally beginning to embrace the reality of life after infertility. I do believe my baby-making days are over and I'm cool with that. After all, I struck gold in the kid department: two little misses to run after, tend to, and smother with kisses.

Ah, such riches, ones I never in a million years expected to have.

This new place is kinda nice.